Many versions of motorized or electrically operated door locking assemblies have been proposed. Typically, automated mechanisms are solenoid operated and, thus, are not easily activated when strong resistive forces are applied to the mechanism. This problem can obviously be very detrimental if the locking mechanism is to be used in a prison or a correctional facility where it is not inconceivable that inmates may attempt to compromise the locking mechanism.
On the other hand, locking mechanisms which are sturdy enough to be used in a prison environment are generally fairly complicated in their structure. Unfortunately, their complexity can require additional force requirements for effective operation of the system which necessitate larger power packs and make the whole mechanism more bulky. Some examples of presently available locking mechanisms include the "Electric Strike" as disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,443 to Butts et al., the "Security Lock" as disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,543 to Stefanek, and the "Electric Latch Strike" as disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,640,560 to Zawardski et al.
With these and other devices in mind, the present invention recognizes there is a need for a motorized locking mechanism which is exceedingly strong yet uncomplicated in structure and simple to operate. More specifically, the present invention recognizes that an effective locking mechanism need incorporate only a few moving parts and can be configured for easy mounting in a doorjamb.
In light of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a door locking mechanism which is sufficiently strong for effective use in a prison or correctional facility. Another object of the present invention is to provide a door locking mechanism which has only a few operating moveable parts. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a door locking mechanism which is able to operate against relatively strong resistive forces. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a door locking mechanism which is cost effective and relatively easy to manufacture.